In the Family
by Nienna29
Summary: Yusuke is 2nd in command of a mob family run by Hiei. Little do they know, fellow mobster Karasu, wants to get rid of both of them so he can have Hiei's job and the affections of the beautiful Kurama. Meant to follow the story line of The Lion King.
1. When I'm king, what'll that make you?

Before we begin: This is another story I've adapted from a band fiction I've already written. I couldn't decide between the J-rock or Yu Yu fandoms so I thought it would be great to do both. This also means that the story is already complete. I just have to post the chapters so updates will be VERY frequent, like every 24 hours. Be sure to add this story to your alert list so you don't miss one ;)

0o0o0o

The speakeasy was always busy on Friday nights. Everyone knew the place was crawling with mobsters but none of them cared. This was the roaring 20's, a time to cast off centuries of restriction, a time to go wild. Karasu was no exception to this rule.

He was currently enjoying a cigarette and the music, or more specifically, the music performer. Sure, the singer was okay, but the beauty at the piano was the only one that mattered to Karasu. Only the Boss's inner circle knew that Kurama was really a man. That fact deterred most of them from pursuing the Boss's favored plaything, but not Karasu.

As he watched Kurama's graceful hands caress the piano keys, he imagined those long fingers wrapping around his member, or better yet, those soft lips. Kurama's lips were perfection. Kurama was perfection.

Just as the last chord of the song died away, the door to the Boss's office swung open and He made a brief appearance. Hiei looked as handsome as ever with his perfect hair and expensive suit. He tapped Kurama on the shoulder, making the beaded fringe on the lovely redhead's dress clack slightly as he jumped. Hiei's lips spread into a grin at this and he motioned Kurama into his office. His smile was returned and, as always, he got what he wanted.

With the object of his attention out of sight, Karasu resorted to another favorite pastime of his, brooding. Alas, it was not to be either. Karasu had not been brooding three minutes when Yusuke plopped gracelessly into the chair across from him, at which he rolled his eyes. He didn't see why this punk was Hiei's chosen successor. He was completely spastic and far too laid back to be a mob boss. Not to mention, he could never have Karasu's style and charisma. It was obvious who the rightful successor was.

"So, what have you been up to?" Karasu drawled before taking a long drag on his cigarette.

Yusuke flicked a wayward lock of hair back into place before answering, "Nothing special. I went to the picture show. That's about it. What about you? Have you been hanging around here all day?" Karasu knew this was as good a chance as any to put his sinister plan into action.

"Actually, I have been out most of today scouting out a new investment opportunity for the Family."

"What kind of investment?"

"It's an apartment complex on the south side. Hiei actually wanted me to tell you that he wants you to put an offer on it tomorrow. I told the building manager to expect you. I certainly hope you didn't have plans for tomorrow."

"No, I didn't. It would be no trouble."

"Excellent." Finished with his cigarette, Karasu snuffed it out in the ashtray. It was all too easy. Yusuke would soon be out of his way. The poor kid looked so unsuspecting. If Karasu still had a conscience, he might feel sorry for him.

But then, he noticed that Yusuke was grinning at him playfully. Did he know something? Not only that, the room seemed to have gotten darker and there was a nice smell in the air, a familiar smell. He twisted around in his chair cautiously. His nose almost touched a solid wall of purple, beaded fringe.

"Hello, Karasu."

"What do you want, Kurama?" Karasu snapped, craning his neck to look at him. The leggy beauty had mercy on him and knelt down on the floor, leaning leisurely against the table. Unfortunately, while this took the strain off Karasu's neck, having Kurama kneel in front of him was beginning to strain other areas of his anatomy.

"Hiei wants to talk to you. Karasu!"

Karasu snapped out of his fantasy to see that Kurama was scowling.

"What? I wasn't listening."

"That's obvious. You need to talk to Hiei. He's not happy with you."

All thoughts of pleasant things left Karasu's mind as he stomped off to Hiei's office, grumbling all the way.

Yusuke chuckled as Kurama immediately took Karasu's chair.

"You're looking pretty as usual. Now, are you sure you're a guy?"

"I'm not doing anything tonight. You could come over to my apartment and find out."

"No way! Hiei would have my head on a platter!"

Kurama laughed. "Relax. I'm only kidding."

"Don't scare me like that!" Yusuke grumbled. "Are you doing anything tomorrow? Hiei wants me to work out a purchase deal for an apartment complex and it would be nice to have the company."

Kurama took time to consider this one. He didn't usually participate in actual Family business.

"Alright. Give me a phone call when you're leaving and I'll go with you."

Relief flooded through Yusuke's mind. For some reason, this task made him nervous, but Kurama was reliable and smart in a pinch. Having him along made Yusuke feel better.

Karasu stormed into Hiei's office. It was bad enough that he had to come in here, but he didn't miss that Kurama struck up a conversation with Yusuke. It seemed like Yusuke was set to inherit Hiei's 'girl' along with his job.

Hiei looked up from a letter he was reading.

"Thank you for coming to see me, Karasu," he greeted, congenially. Karasu wasn't fooled.

"It's not like I have a choice. What do you want?"

Hiei got right to the point. "There was a Family meeting Wednesday. You weren't there. How can I trust you with your turf if you don't keep me informed?"

Hiei's tone was steely but Karasu wasn't bothered a bit. "There was nothing to report. Why should I go all the way across town when I have nothing to say? Because you say so?"

Hiei leapt to his feet, temper blazing, "Are you challenging my authority?"

Karasu just laughed, "Whoa, Boss. Calm down. I didn't know it meant that much to you."

Though he sat down, Hiei's anger still simmered. "Someone of your rank should want to know what's going on. Not only that, I have to be able to trust you and know you'll do as I ask. If you can't do such a simple thing as attend a meeting, I'll have you…taken care of. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good. Get out of my sight."

0o0o0o

The stage is set. For those of you that are missing Kuwabara, don't worry. He'll show up eventually.


	2. Impeccable timing your majesty

Yusuke arrived at the water tower 30 minutes late and, as expected, Kurama anticipated this. He hadn't even shown up yet, himself. He sat down on a bench and enjoyed the scenery. He'd started his mob career in New York, but quickly got moved to Chicago upon catching Hiei's eye. He couldn't have been happier with the change. Chicago was so much more beautiful, the people were more relaxed, and even the food had a homier feel in his stomach.

"Hey, stranger."

Kurama looked fantastic in a loose, flowing dress and low heels, an outfit that looked far more comfortable in the stifling summer heat than Yusuke felt in his suit. That was the one down side to Chicago: it freezes solid in the winter and boils in the summer.

"Shall we be off, my lady," Yusuke laughed at his own joke. It was a rare treat to see Kurama out of his nighttime makeup. He lost the dark, sultry look entirely. Instead, he looked bright and fresh. Not only that, if one looked at him in just the right frame of mind, he would see the man behind the mask. Kurama could have been anything and anyone he chose. He looked stunning as either gender.

It was proving to be a pleasant day admiring the city's ornate architecture and his pleasant company. Soon their destination was in sight. The pair confidently strode through the double doors, opened by the doorman. Yusuke spotted the front desk and asked the young man stationed there if he could see the building manager. The youth looked positively ashen at the request but obeyed albeit hesitantly, going off to relay their request.

"The Boss says he'll see you. Follow me."

As they followed, Kurama gripped Yusuke's arm, whispering, "'The Boss'? I don't like this one bit. Did Hiei tell you to come here himself?"

Yusuke's heart beat faster but he kept his cool. "Not directly but I trust the messenger. Relax, Kurama. It'll be fine."

Kurama just pouted and kept holding onto Yusuke's arm protectively. The desk clerk knocked on the door with a nameplate reading "Shishi Wakamaru".

"You may enter," called a cold voice.

The clerk opened the door revealing a handsome man of undeterminable age. The man, presumably Shishi Wakamaru, got up to shake each of their hands, before seating himself back behind his desk.

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

Kurama was shivering a bit but Yusuke plowed ahead. "I'm here to negotiate the purchase of this building. You were told to expect me."

"What?" Shishi laughed. "Kids, you have the wrong place. Go home and figure out where you're supposed to be."

"Our apologies, sir. He won't…"

Yusuke cut Kurama off, "Don't talk to me like that! I'm here representing Hiei and you know it."

Recognition dawned in Shishi's eyes and, in that moment, Yusuke knew he'd made a mortal error.

"Hiei? Do not even mention my vile enemy's name in my presence!" Shishi yelled, and snapped his fingers at a door to the left. The door slammed open and the pair hit the floor just in time to avoid the spray of machine gun fire.

They could hear an uproar in the lobby, growing steadily nearer, and then the office door burst open. More shots rang out and a rough hand grabbed Yusuke, pulling him out the door. Yusuke was about to protest until he saw Kurama sprinting ahead of them. He had pulled a handgun from somewhere under his dress and shot down the thugs trying to block their escape route. The guy holding his arm was shooting too, and he realized that it was Hiei. In the midst of all the chaos, all he could think was, "I messed up. I messed up." A car screeched up outside the building. Kurama dove in but he wasn't fast enough. A bullet clipped his shoulder. Amazingly, it didn't slow him down. He grabbed the shotgun apparently stashed nearby and covered Hiei and Yusuke until they entered the car safely and they were speeding back to their territory.

Yusuke breathed a sigh of relief. Then his body slammed into the side of the car.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" Hiei screamed. "You can't just act on your own like that. You put yourself and Kurama in danger."

In his rage, Hiei began to punch Yusuke in the face.

"Stop!" Kurama yelled. His voice was deep and commanding in a way Yusuke had never heard. Hiei lowered his arms and instead crossed them to sulk in the corner of the back seat. "Look, everything turned out okay. Calm down and we'll talk about this when we get home."

"Where _are_ we going, by the way?" Jin, the driver, asked.

"We'll head back to my place," Hiei replied.

Jin nodded. He was Hiei's personal driver and one of the few people who knew where Hiei lived. Yusuke himself had only been to Hiei's townhouse three or four times. Though he suspected Jin did a lot of shuttling between Hiei's house and Kurama's apartment.

It wasn't long before they pulled up to the posh townhouse on Prairie Avenue, once the Park Avenue of Chicago. Now the area was in decline as the rich moved into suburbia and industry moved in, but the beautiful historic houses, spared by the Great Chicago Fire, remained. It was the perfect place for a mob boss to hole up in luxury.

Jin drove off as soon as the trio was through the door. Kurama seemed to know his way around quite well as he hurried off to the bathroom, dress stained and blood seeping from between his fingers.

"Is he going to be alright?" Yusuke asked cautiously.

"He's had worse," Hiei muttered dismissively, heading toward the kitchen. Yusuke kicked off his shoes and hung up his coat and hat before sitting down on the couch to do some sulking of his own.

Hiei wasn't about to allow that. When he reentered he room, he shoved a glass of brandy into Yusuke's hands and sat down on the couch opposite Yusuke.

"You are so lucky Kurama always leaves a note telling me where he's going to be. He's always prepared. You… You…" Hiei was fighting to keep his notorious temper in check.

"You didn't even know you were trying to buy a building from the Japanese mafia! You didn't do any research before waltzing off to spend the Family's money!"

"I'm sorry." It was all Yusuke could say.

Hiei's expression softened and he sighed. "Yusuke, someday I'm not going to be here to lead this group and everything will be up to you. When you accepted your position, you also accepted a responsibility to do your absolute best and be thorough. You are responsible for everyone and everything and if you screw up, the Family falls. Not only will you have to look before you leap but write a dissertation about the physics of leaping and carefully file it. Then you can leap. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Hiei was smirking now. Yusuke wasn't sure if it was that or the brandy, but he was feeling a lot more relaxed. He nodded to affirm that he understood. There was one thing bugging him though but all thoughts of such matters left his mind when Kurama walked out.

Having ditched his bloodstained dress, Kurama was wearing nothing but a pair of grey slacks. He wasn't even wearing makeup and his long hair was pulled into a simple ponytail.

"Hi Kurama," Yusuke choked out. "You look…like a man."

"That's what I am, isn't it," he muttered as he sat down beside Hiei. Thankfully, it looked like the bullet had only nicked the skin of Kurama's shoulder without doing much damage. The bleeding had stopped and there was gauze over the wound.

Hiei got up again and headed back to the kitchen, presumably for a drink. This left Yusuke to sit in silence and go back to wallowing in shame over his mistakes. Then that thought came back to him. He got up and sat down next to Kurama.

"Kurama?"

Kurama tuned to face him and nodded for him to continue

"I have to tell you something. It's important."

The other nodded again and his expression turned serious.

"Karasu told me Hiei wanted me to purchase that building. That's why I didn't look into it."

"That's stupid," Kurama scoffed. "Hiei would never send you there."

"I know! That's what worries me."

"You're not saying you think Hiei's trying to kill you, are you? Why would he come and rescue you if he was?"

Yusuke though about his conclusion and realized how ridiculous it was. Still, that left only one, troubling option.

"That means Karasu wants to kill me."

Kurama pressed his lips together in thought. "It could be Karasu's idea of a sick joke. I don't know. I'll talk to Hiei about it and we'll keep an eye on Karasu. Don't worry."

At this point Hiei reentered the room. "I want both of you to stay here until we know the Japanese mafia isn't searching for you," he announced.

The others nodded in understanding and Hiei joined the other two on the couch. All three men sat side by side and let out a collective sigh. It had been a long day.

Thanks to everyone that read the first chapter of this story! The whole thing is already written so updates should come really fast. Be sure to add this to your alert list and make sure you don't miss one ;)


	3. Long live the king

"Thank you all for meeting with me tonight," Karasu's voice resonated through the room. "As you all know by now, we are on the cusp of the ultimate coup d'état. Not only will we become the dominant Family in America, we will be the downfall of the "great" Hiei. Those of you participating in the initial operation, have your orders. The rest of you, be on the lookout. I'll give word when I have control of the Family. Any questions?"

Silence reigned for a moment. Despite his willowy build, Karasu's charisma was larger than life and his spell took a few moments to wear off. There were questions, however.

Touya spoke up, frowning, "Why are you the leader, again? It isn't like we don't all have leadership skills."

Karasu wasn't fazed a bit. "If you think you can get Hiei's people to follow you, be my guest. I just thought they would be more likely to follow me as I'm a logical contender to lead the Family anyway."

There was a disappointed murmur of acknowledgment.

"Where will we stand in this…new world order or yours?" Bui asked, suspiciously.

"You will all be above Hiei's lackeys. You can count on that. A good dictator knows to keep his army well paid."

A few people chuckled at the last statement and the mood in the room lightened considerably. Everyone present seemed convinced the Karasu intended to keep them all as happy as he could.

"No more questions? Well, thank you all for meeting with me. As you go to your respective homes, do so knowing that the next time we meet like this will be the dawning of a new era."

oOoOo

"You think you'll be okay?"

Yusuke gave Karasu a confused look. "Of course I'll be okay. Karasu, this is something like my 20th bank robbery. I think I know what I'm doing."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Karasu conceded. "After you get the money, I have a surprise for you."

"Oh really," Retia remarked. "Is this a good surprise?"

Karasu smiled reassuringly, "It's to _die_ for."

Yusuke just grunted noncommittally, and went off to do his job. In doing so, he missed the transformation of Karasu's innocent expression into something truly sinister. He also missed the groups of men lurking in the shadows as he and his team entered the bank.

"Alright people, hands up. This is a robbery," Yusuke called out, firing a few shots into the ceiling to show he meant business. Amid the screams and scrambling of the customers, the bank tellers were calmer but still antsy. As his men secured the customers, Yusuke picked out one of the bank tellers.

"You, go empty the safe and bring the money here. No funny business or your friends here get it."

The frightened man nodded and hurried to do as he was asked. Whispers were beginning to circulate thought he customers as people recognized who Yusuke was. The mobsters let this whispering pass. It only added to their legend anyway. These people would talk to others and the fear of them would spread.

The teller returned with as much cash as he could carry. Just as he was about to hand it over, shots exploded from the doorway. A rival group showed up, assumedly to take the spoils for itself.

oOoOo

Karasu skidded into the café where Hiei and Kurama waited nearby just in case something went wrong. Something had indeed gone wrong this day.

"Hiei!" he gasped out. "I just saw a bunch of guys going in after Yusuke's group. He needs help!"

All three of them sprinted back to the bank. Kurama arrived first just as their rivals fired the first few rounds.

oOoOo

It was an all out mob war now. The tellers and customers scattered but Yusuke didn't care at this point. He'd be lucky to get out with his life let alone the money. The surprise attack took out half his men and though he and his remaining allies were now making some progress, it was too little too late. The lead gangster aimed straight at Yusuke. This was the end of the line.

Yusuke winced at the sharp bang that followed, but there was no pain. Instead, the would-be shooter fell face down and his companions were turning to toward some new threat. Yusuke wasted no time. He opened fire. For all he knew a third mob could have shown up.

The situation was not that unfortunate, however. Kurama, Hiei and Karasu burst through the battle lines. "Yusuke, get out of here!" Hiei screamed over the din. Yusuke didn't stop to think. He just ran through the momentary gap, his men following close behind. The gap was closing fast. He pushed himself to the limit and barely made it out of the bank, bullets ricocheting off the pavement and surrounding buildings. He realized that three men were chasing him and became even more frantic. Police sirens wailed in the distance. It felt as though the entire city was after him. Where could he go? How could he hide? Yes, there was a train station around this corner. He skidded to make the turn and dove into the crowd. His pursuers yelled after him.

"You'd better get out of here! Show your face again and you're dead just like your Boss!"

oOoOo

The survivors clustered around Hiei, more than ready to fight to the death at the side of their beloved leader. They defended him bravely to the last. When another path opened in the fray, Kurama plunged through the opening. He didn't get far. To everyone's shock, Karasu shot him in the back.

"I know you too well, Kurama, my beauty. You can't be running off to get reinforcements," Karasu mocked. Then he turned back to what was left of the battle. Hiei was in a standoff with Karasu's last man standing.

"Karasu, help me here," Hiei called out.

Karasu just smiled triumphantly and pointed his gun at Hiei. The man's eyes filled with rage, realizing he'd been betrayed.

"Long live the king."

And it was over.

O0o0o0

Karasu's plan has succeeded. Where will Yusuke end up, I wonder? There are four more chapters left to go, so I'm just getting started. There will be some other stuff vaguely implied as well but I don't think it will traumatize anyone. Assuming I don't get hit by a tornado, chapter 4 should be out sometime Friday morning (in the USA).


	4. Hakuna Matata!

It had been a week and Yusuke was dirty and tired and still dazed. He took train after train bound for places more and more remote. Now he was out of money and stranded in the middle of Wyoming. The mob would never find him here. No one would find him here. He felt ridiculously out of place in his expensive suit and leather shoes, dirty and stained thought they were. There was nothing to be done now. A single tear traced a line in the dust clinging to his skin. This was a good place to disappear, a good place to die.

"Hey, what's the matter?"

Yusuke looked up to meet a pair of sympathetic eyes gazing at him from under a veritable brim of curled bangs. If circumstances had been better, he would have made fun of this guy. As it was, he spilled his guts. What did he have to lose?

"Hiei is dead and it's all my fault and Kurama and Karasu are probably dead too. If they hadn't tried to save me… I can never face the rest of the Family because they have to know it's my fault by now and it doesn't matter because the other family will kill me if I go back and…"

"Woah, woah," the cowboy cut him off. "It sounds like you've been through a lot. If you can't go back, you can stay with me as long as you need to."

"Really?" Yusuke sniffed. "But you don't even know me."

The cowboy smiled cheerfully. "We all look out for each other out here and I could use another cattle hand. My name is Kuwabara, by the way."

Yusuke returned the smile though weakly. "I'm Yusuke. Thank you, Kuwabara. I won't let you down."

"I know you won't." Kuwabara's grin hadn't wavered. "Let's get you to a room and into some sensible clothes. You look like an idiot in that suit."

"But you're wearing a suit too," Yusuke pointed out.

Kuwabara looked down at his own garb as if for the first time. "Oh yeah. No wonder my pants are riding up."

oOoOo

Yusuke passed two happy years with Kuwabara and the two bonded like brothers. It turned out that Kuwabara was a wealthy rancher and he shipped his cattle all over the country. At first herding the cattle was overwhelming. Not to mention, he'd never seen so much open space in this life let alone had free reign of it. He grew to love it though. Soon he was watching the ranch while Kuwabara was away on business. When Kuwabara was home, they would ride together and talk for hours as the cattle grazed. There was a pretty high turnover rate in the cattle hands but Yusuke stayed. He felt like he owed Kuwabara. He had fully intended to wander out into wilderness to die. Instead, he went into it with Kuwabara and got his life back.

Tonight was like many others. The two best friends sat in the porch under the stars, digesting a hardy meal of chili and corn bread. Kuwabara was going to leave on another trip in the morning.

"Did you remember to pack your cufflinks?"

Kuwabara looked sheepish. "I lost them."

"What about your other pair."

Kuwabara didn't answer but he really didn't need to by now.

"You can borrow mine but if you lose them I'll kill you."

"You're the best!" Kuwabara lunged in for a hug only to be pushed back into his chair roughly. "You know," he continued as though nothing happened, "I was sort of hoping you would come with me this time."

Yusuke shook his head resolutely. "No. I'd really rather not."

"Yusuke, you've been on the ranch for two years strait. Don't you want to get out a little bit?"

"I'm happy here," he insisted. "Where are you off to anyway?"

"It's a routine trip, just to a distributor in Chicago."

Kuwabara didn't miss Yusuke's alarm. "What's that matter? Is that were you're from?"

"Yeah. I can't go back there."

"Maybe you should go there. Then you'll see you don't have to be afraid. No one will recognize you anyway."

"You think?"

"You don't realize how much you've changed these past years, do you? You might not even see anyone you know. Chicago's a big city."

Yusuke pondered this new idea. He stood up abruptly.

"Fine. I'll go with you. I'm going to bed now."

O0o0o0o0o

Yay! Kuwabara enters the story. We are at the half way point now. This chapter was a little short and so will the next one but don't worry. I'm not flaking out on you. That's just how the flow of the story went. The entire story is not very long since it was meant to be posted in one chapter. It's just that a goal of 1000 words turned into 7000 XD


	5. Remember who you are

It was so surreal to walk through Grant Park again. The moist lake air was so different from that of landlocked Wyoming. Kuwabara was off on business. It turned out this trip was a plot to give Yusuke a vacation and now that he was here, he was glad. He hadn't seen anyone he knew, just as Kuwabara said. Right now, he was on a quest to see the colossal Buckingham Fountain that apparently had been installed while he was away. It was supposed to be one of the biggest in the world.

He was beginning to hear the sound of splashing water so he knew he must be close. The path he walked right now was narrow and tree-lined so he couldn't see very far ahead. Once he passed the final tree, he saw it silhouetted against the seemingly endless lake. Chicago's infamous wind blew in over the water, ruffling his hair and sending a light mist from the fountain. The moment felt so perfect. He walked lazily around the fountain, examining it from all angles. There was such a relaxed feeling in the air that he never remembered from his former life here. Even the early September chill didn't spoil the moment. Wyoming was just as cold so he was still quite used to it.

Perhaps it was because being relaxed had become a way of life for him during the past two years. The ranch was like a world of its own where he was and always had been a simple farm hand. He never told Kuwabara anything more about is past after their first meeting and, with an almost childlike trust, Kuwabara didn't ask so forgetting as all too easy. At first he plotted feverishly about how he could get back to Chicago and avenge his friends but the guilt of his failure overwhelmed him and he began to question Hiei's placement of him. He was so new in the whole mob scene. There was so much he didn't know. Under his expensive clothes and gangster attitude, he still always felt like a grubby street kid plucked out of filth and dressed up to look like something he wasn't. Why should he fight to be something he wasn't when his life on this ranch seemed to suit him so well?

Yusuke glanced at the city skyline thinking to himself, 'I never belonged here. Goodbye, Chicago and good riddance.'

"Excuse me, sir."

Yusuke snapped out of his thoughts, turning to face the speaker and his heart skipped a beat.

"I knew it!" the other man whispered almost reverently. "Yusuke! You're back."

"Kurama? You're alive?"

"As far as I know. Yusuke… Where are you staying? We have to talk."

"I'm here on business with my employer. He's out right now though so we could go back to my hotel."

Kurama nodded eagerly and followed Yusuke all the way to his room. On the surface he seemed calm, but Yusuke didn't miss the subtle signs that Kurama was feeling really antsy. He hardly recognized the beautiful redhead in a suit and fedora. He looked more like the mobster he was than a flapper. A thought occurred to Yusuke then and he voiced it the moment the door to his bedroom closed.

"Are you the Boss now, Kurama?"

Kurama's eyes narrowed. "No."

Yusuke could sense that there was more to it than that but he didn't press the matter. After a second silence Yusuke launched into an almost desperate hug and Kurama stiffened in surprise but then relaxed and hugged back. A tension left his body then as though Yusuke had lifted a weight from his shoulders.

When they finally loosened their grip, they stood face to face still saying nothing. Yusuke looked into Kurama's eyes and a change had come about them. He looked careworn and tired.

"Kurama, I can tell you're not okay. Tell me what's been happening here," Yusuke demanded.

Kurama didn't answer. His green eyes blinked rapidly as though clearing a haze from his vision. "Kurama," Yusuke called to him.

"I…Yusuke, I'm sorry. I just… Things have been really bad here since you left."

Guilt twisted in Yusuke's gut and he would walk back to Wyoming if it meant he didn't have to look Kurama in the eye.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. "I know I let everyone down."

"But you're here now. You can set things right," Kurama urged.

Yusuke only shook this head. "I can't fa…"

The door to the room opened.

"Holy crap!"

Kuwabara had returned early from his meeting and, at the moment, he looked absolutely petrified. Then Yusuke realized that it might have something to do with the fact that Kurama was pointing a gun at him.

"Who are you?"Kurama bit out.

"What do you mean 'Who am I?'. Who are _you_?" Kuwabara squeaked.

Yusuke figured he had better sort this out before the situation got ugly. "Back off, Kurama. This is Kuwabara, my employer. Kuwabara, go put you stuff way and we'll order room service. What do you want?"

"Tea… Okay, tea," Kuwabara grumbled, shuffling into the bedroom.

"I'm so sorry, Yusuke. Did I get you fired?" Kurama asked softy.

Yusuke chuckled and began to get dressed himself. "No, don't worry about it. Kuwabara sees me more as a long lost brother that he just so happens to pay every month. He won't fire me just for associating with a trigger happy weirdo like you."

Kurama smiled a little at the joke and sat down on the couch as Yusuke dialed for their tea. From the determined expression that settled on the redhead's features, Yusuke was certain Kurama wasn't going to let him go back home so easily.

0o0o0o0o

Okay, if you're reading this, you've just finished the revised chapter two. If you like it, let me know. To those of you that have given me tips and asked questions, thanks a ton!


	6. You see, he lives in you

Note: This is going to be the rest of the story all in one chapter. Enjoy.

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Kuwabara was just closing the door after the room service personnel. To make things interesting, Yusuke sat down in the armchair, leaving Kuwabara and Kurama to sit together on the couch. As expected, Kuwabara seemed more than a little afraid of Kurama. Forcing himself to relax, Yusuke spoke first.

"Kuwabara, I have a confession to make. I wasn't entirely forthcoming that day at the train station. Remember what I said that day about why I left my old home?"

"Yeah, you said you thought it was your fault some people in your family died, but I think whatever it was… Wait a minute! You're Kurama! I'm sorry Yusuke, but your brother is insane."

Kuwabara looked about to short circuit but Kurama relaxed immediately, even giggled.

"We're not family," Kurama explained. "We're _in the family_."

Kuwabara had what must have seemed his hundredth horrifying revelation of that day. "So when you said you couldn't face the family, you meant the _family_."

"Yes," Yusuke confirmed.

"You were running from the mob."

"Exactly."

"And you," he turned to Kurama, "are still in the mob."

"Sort of," Kurama answered.

"Hmmm," Kuwabara mused, pouring some tea for himself. "That would explain why you're so trigger happy. Do you have any cool scars?"

"Come on Kuwabara, not all mob guys have to have scars," Yusuke chided.

Kurama obliged Kuwabara's curiosity and lifted the back of his shirt.

Yusuke winced at the sight. "Ouch! When did you get that?"

"That day at the bank. That stupid bastard Karasu shot me!"

Yusuke took a cookie from the tray on the table and chomped on it. "I'm sure he didn't mean to."

Kurama broke into dark, mania-tinged laughter and Kuwabara scooted away from him. "Didn't mean to? He meant to shoot me alright, just like he meant to shoot Hiei in the head, just like he meant to take Hiei's position. All along, he was plotting and I didn't see it. I should have…"

Kurama let his sentence trail off and he slumped against the back of the couch in defeat. Kuwabara slid back across the couch, toward Kurama. To Yusuke's surprise, he patted Kurama's shoulder in a gesture of comfort and camaraderie.

With Kurama being taken care of, Yusuke allowed himself to retreat into thought. Though it seemed inappropriate, he was a little happy. It wasn't his fault! All of the terrible things that happened were Karasu's doing. Yes, Karasu's doing… Yusuke bit into his cookie as though biting off Karasu's head. Then he looked over at Kuwabara and Kurama. That must have been what he looked like when he and Kuwabara met. Yusuke had always thought of Kurama as this infinitely strong divine being, the true power behind Hiei's iron grip on the mafia. He realized now that Kurama was no different than he. He had all the same hopes and fears, just kept them bottled inside. Then on a whim he asked, "Kurama, what year were you born?"

Kurama's weary eyes met his and though he looked confused, he answered. "1897. Why?"

Yusuke was shocked and he was sure as much was written all over his face. Kurama was barely older than he was.

"We're the about same age," Yusuke mused. For some reason I thought you would be so much older than I am."

"Hiei was only two years older than we are."

"Wow," Yusuke mused. "We are all so young. No wonder Karasu felt resentful of answering to us."

Kurama shook his head, "No, Karasu is still in his twenties. I guess brooding like he does makes one seem older."

"So Karasu really has no business being the head guy," Kuwabara chimed in.

The other two looked momentarily surprised, but welcomed that fact that Kuwabara was with them in this discussion.

"None at all," Kurama answered him. "He's made my life hell and I want him dead."

A thought occurred to Yusuke, "He's not having you followed is he?"

"No. He did for the first eight months or so but I've never done anything the least bit suspicious until very recently. When I make my move, I want him to be completely surprised. I've only started wearing mens clothes again this month."

"I'm not even going to ask," Kuwabara muttered.

"So you can move more freely this way. Anyone looking for you would be searching for a woman."

"Exactly." Kurama seemed rather proud of himself. "They wouldn't though. Karasu trusts me completely. He thinks he's broken me, but I'm just biding my time. Come back with me, Yusuke. Karasu isn't expecting to see me for two days yet. We could put together a plan and be rid of him now."

"Okay," Yusuke agreed. "I always thought you should be the next Boss anyway."

"Me? Absolutely not. I don't want that job. Besides, Hiei chose you. You are the rightful leader. Technically, you've been the Boss this whole time."

"Wait!" Kuwabara cried. "You're a mob Boss and you never told me? That's the bee's knees! I've been hanging with a mob Boss!"

"Kuwabara, I'm not a mob Boss," Yusuke protested. He spoke to Kurama, "I've spent the last two years feeling like a piece of shit thinking I wrecked the Family. The only thing I'm good at is making mistakes and being a screw-up. Everyone would be better off if I just stay away. Look at me. I'm nothing like Hiei."

Kurama turned deathly serious. "Do you not have mirrors where you live or something?"

"Actually," Kuwabara mused. "We don't."

"Hmm," was Kurama's only response before he stood up and then dragged Yusuke off toward the powder room.

"Kurama, let me go! What are you…"

"See! Look at your eyes. You have the same determination there that Hiei had," Kurama insisted.

Yusuke nodded, but his expression soured. "I just can't. I've been gone so long. I've made too many mistakes. Crap!"

He stumbled back from the force of Kurama's blow to his stomach. "What the hell was that!?"

Kurama was grinning almost playfully, "You let your guard down. What a silly mistake."

Yusuke muttered all manner of foul language under this breath while heading back over to his chair. He felt Kurama approaching again, just a little too purposefully. He whirled around just in time to grab Kurama's fist and pin in behind his back.

"What's wrong with you?"

Kurama was grinning even wider. "Obviously, you won't make that same mistake will you?"

"You bet your ass I won't!"

Yusuke rolled his eyes and released Kurama.

"Karasu makes a mockery of you just like that every day he has power," Kurama pursued the issue. "What are you going to do about it?"

Yusuke's expression was veritably tortured as his internal consciousness battled itself. He didn't feel up to this task but, when Kurama put it that way, his pride wouldn't allow him to stand for this. What to do? What to do?

"Kurama, get everyone you know is still loyal, then come back here. Too many of our enemies know where you live."

Kurama's face lit up. "Of course, but are you sure this hotel is safe?"

Yusuke nodded. "I always book this hotel for Kuwabara because it's owned by the Russian mafia."

"What? You intentionally put me in a mob owned hotel," Kuwabara griped.

Yusuke wasn't bothered. "Yes. That way if your connection to me were discovered, Karasu couldn't send his thugs to kill you in your sleep."

"That's comforting. So while Kurama's gathering the troops, we can put together a battle plan. I'm itching to put our sharp shooting to good use."

Yusuke's expression hardened. "I can't involve you in this. It's my fight."

Kuwabara stood and put his hands on his hips resolutely. "You're my friend. Whatever trouble you're in, I'll stand by you to the end."

"I can't talk you out of this, can I?"

"Nope."

Yusuke heaved a shaky sigh. "Alright men, let's get to work."

It was another swinging night at the speakeasy. Kurama sat at the piano as he did every Friday night.

"You seem more energetic than usual," Karasu commented. "Are you getting sex somewhere else?"

Kurama continued to play with mischievous glint in his eye. "Yes Karasu, I confess. I've spent the last two nights with a couple of wild west cowboys."

Karasu burst out laughing. "Only you could think up something that weird. That's why you're to keep quiet and look pretty."

Kurama nodded but didn't answer, careful to 'keep quiet and look pretty', his sanguine colored dress the only thing betraying his true intentions for this evening.

"Hey Kurama, I think your pair of cowboys just walked in. How ironic."

"Hm," Kurama mumbled, not even bothering to look up. Though he put on a good show of surprise when Yusuke and Kuwabara pulled out their guns and a group of mobsters filed in behind them.

"Hands up you yellow bellied sewer rats. This is a stick up," Kuwabara yelled out in an exaggerated Texan accent. "I always wanted to say that," he whispered to a bewildered Yusuke.

"Look who we have here," Karasu said smoothly, stalking toward the invaders. "Our little screw up thinks he can take what's mine. Does your little posse know whose fault it is that Hiei's dead?"

In a typical show of temper, Yusuke forgot about his gun and simply tackled Karasu.

"My posse knows, but does yours?"

Karasu just smiled, making Yusuke all the more furious. He grabbed Karasu's throat. "Tell them! Tell them the truth!"

"Fine," Karasu choked and Yusuke let go of his neck. Karasu took a deep breath and announced unashamedly, "I did it. I shot Hiei myself and I'd do it again."

Anger spread like wildfire through the room and the battle began. During Yusuke and Karasu's exchange, Kuwabara and a few others sneaked behind the bar. Through the spray of machine gun fire, Kuwabara picked off Karasu's mobster with his pistols faster than they could raise their weapons. It was only when Kuwabara had to reload that they could get any shots through.

Meanwhile, Karasu turned over one of the metal tables just in time to stop a bullet that would have pieced his skull. He and Yusuke were now locked in a duel to the death. Neither could make any headway though. What Yusuke had in strength and skill, Karasu matched with speed and strategy, making sure Yusuke never got a clear shot. Then instead of a bang, Karasu's gun simply clicked, out of ammo. Yusuke grinned in victory, moving in for the kill. Most of Karasu's men lay bleeding now and Karasu was defenseless.

Karasu had another trick up his sleeve, however. He grabbed Kurama, using him as a shield.

"It's over, Yusuke. You would never risk shooting Kurama. Face it. You're too soft to cut it here. Go ba…"

In a flash of speed, Kurama pulled a stiletto dagger out of his stocking, spun around and slit Karasu's throat. Blood gushed from the wound, drenching Kurama, staining his hair and skin to match his dress. Then he turned to the stunned gaggle that was all that remained of Karasu's supporters.

"The usurper has fallen," Kurama's voice echoed through the room. "Go! Flee for your lives. Tell his other minions that they can follow Hiei's chosen one, or die by my blade."

No one moved. Then the first scream sounded, followed by others and the sounds of falling weapons and running feet.

"Yes!" Kuwabara whopped. "We win."

Kurama wiped some of the blood out of his eyes before turning to Yusuke. "What now, Boss?"

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Note: As it follows the plot of a movie, there isn't as much detail in this story as in most fan fiction. Still, I hope you enjoyed the story.


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